Hi there people
I don't normally write about this kind of thing on my blog but I wanted to warn people of some of the dangers with regard to providing services for people without a written contract. Recently, I responded to an advert from the Cooperative Gardeners Limited who were looking for a sales and marketing person. Gary Jackson who is the major owner of the company called me back after looking at my website to come along for an interview with them at the Cooperative Gardeners Limited.
My website clearly states that I am a PR and Communications professional. On answering his question, "So what do you think marketing is?" I gave him a detailed response to which he then said, "So it's sales." That afternoon, he asked me to stay and work and I found myself for the next two days managing and organising door to door canvassing from a council flat in Clarke House, Ham in which the lack of space, makeshift desks and garden furniture most definitely flouted health and safety regulations. When I told him this was not the kind of thing I do and not a good use of my skills he said, "So what can you do then?" I told him a website and PR and marketing materials.
He agreed to this on the basis that I work for significantly less money than I would ordinarily, worked on it for four weeks and for the final week he refused to pay me on the basis that I hadn't brought any cash into the business in the time that I'd been there.
I have written this as a warning to people considering using the gardening company because he is selling the service to customers as it being a cooperative. This means that clients, investors and staff all take a share in the profit. He has been running for three years however, has done the same thing to a few people as he did to me, pays all of his staff low wages which means that if they do become profitable, the Cooperative Gardeners Ltd investors get a bigger share because there will be even more profit because staff are on low salaries.
I would caution anyone doing work for small businesses to get an agreement in writing for work that you are going to undertake for someone and the rate you are willing to do it for within an agreed time frame. Luckily, I retained administration rights for their website so have at least been able to take it down due to non-payment however, I would rather have been paid the money and had the website running for them.
So anyone thinking of working for or using the Cooperative Gardeners Ltd in Richmond. Please take care.
I don't normally write about this kind of thing on my blog but I wanted to warn people of some of the dangers with regard to providing services for people without a written contract. Recently, I responded to an advert from the Cooperative Gardeners Limited who were looking for a sales and marketing person. Gary Jackson who is the major owner of the company called me back after looking at my website to come along for an interview with them at the Cooperative Gardeners Limited.
My website clearly states that I am a PR and Communications professional. On answering his question, "So what do you think marketing is?" I gave him a detailed response to which he then said, "So it's sales." That afternoon, he asked me to stay and work and I found myself for the next two days managing and organising door to door canvassing from a council flat in Clarke House, Ham in which the lack of space, makeshift desks and garden furniture most definitely flouted health and safety regulations. When I told him this was not the kind of thing I do and not a good use of my skills he said, "So what can you do then?" I told him a website and PR and marketing materials.
He agreed to this on the basis that I work for significantly less money than I would ordinarily, worked on it for four weeks and for the final week he refused to pay me on the basis that I hadn't brought any cash into the business in the time that I'd been there.
I have written this as a warning to people considering using the gardening company because he is selling the service to customers as it being a cooperative. This means that clients, investors and staff all take a share in the profit. He has been running for three years however, has done the same thing to a few people as he did to me, pays all of his staff low wages which means that if they do become profitable, the Cooperative Gardeners Ltd investors get a bigger share because there will be even more profit because staff are on low salaries.
I would caution anyone doing work for small businesses to get an agreement in writing for work that you are going to undertake for someone and the rate you are willing to do it for within an agreed time frame. Luckily, I retained administration rights for their website so have at least been able to take it down due to non-payment however, I would rather have been paid the money and had the website running for them.
So anyone thinking of working for or using the Cooperative Gardeners Ltd in Richmond. Please take care.
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